THE heatwave and dating reality TV show Love Island kept store tills ringing as shoppers splashed out on alcohol and skincare products.

The grocery market grew by 3.5 percent in the 12 weeks to August 12, with Morrisons at 2.7 percent outperforming its "big four" rivals.

The Co-op enjoyed its strongest performance for nearly seven years at 7.8 per cent growth.

German rivals Aldi and Lidl led the field with growth of 12.6 percent and 8.6 percent respectively for a combined market share of 13.1 percent.

Analyst Kantar said that July’s soaring temperatures had led to an extra £67million being spent on booze, while sales of men's skincare products jumped by 16 percent in the 12 weeks to 12 August. These included avocado and manuka honey conditioner, beard oil, volcanic cleansing wash and charcoal toothpaste.